Terra Oxett Am I seeing things correctly?
The hooded figure was about to run off into the crowd of people now around us but stopped at the sound of what I said. I heard a deep sigh come from them, as they removed their hood and turned toward me.
A head of ash blond hair was revealed, and blue eyes were now staring right at me. To my surprise, I was right. Aeris Corzon, one of the heirs to the Corzon family was here on the third floor of the Antaris.
Unattended.
“Your Highness, what are you doing here?” I said, bowing my head.
I looked up just barely, enough to see her standing elegantly as she unbuttoned the cloak that hid her previously. Everyone including myself was in awe of her beauty as she stood before us. She wore a black fitted jumpsuit with a high collar that stopped just under her chin. Silver earrings dangled from her lobes, glistening off of the bright lights in the hall. She kept one hand on the hilt of a sword in an ornamented scabbard at her hip. On the other side was a whip coiled tightly
There were gasps from the crowd around us, some dropped to their knees in respect, while others backed up out of fear. The whispers grew louder and drew in more attention, even the attention of Vars and his captors. Everyone, – the entire crowd, Vars, the captors, even the other guards– was now focused on her Highness, surprised and confused.
I quickly placed myself in between her majesty and the captors in case one of them dared to approach. When I moved, I felt my stomach –where I was previously just kicked– and to my surprise, there was an aching pain. The moment I was kicked replayed in my mind and I looked out of the corner of my eye toward her Highness.
Are all of the Corzon’s this strong?
My question regarding why she was here still went unanswered, neither did I expect to receive one. This was my first time before any of the royal family members despite being on the upper floors and here her Highness was right in front of me, but could I do that while getting Vars from those snakes?
Breathe Terra. There is backup now, and the captors are outnumbered. If anything-
“Surrender,” a cold but calming voice called out from behind me. “I will only warn you once.”
“Your High-” I couldn’t find the words to finish.
Her gaze was full of unwavering determination, flawless beauty, and tremendous power all at once.
“Go back to your bubble princess.” a voice shouted from the crowd around us.
Many others began to speak up as well, cursing and booing, but her Highness kept her cool. She began to walk toward Vars slowly and calmly with her hand ready to draw her blade. I tried to follow her but something in me told me I shouldn’t. As if I was watching a predator about to feast on its prey, and anyone who dared get in their way would meet the same fate.
The other guards were just as scared as I was, some of them taking a few steps back, not knowing what to do.
“Back away princess,” the red-haired captor said, as he held Vars to his left, and pulled a rusty blade to Vars’ throat.
Vars was silent and still, as she approached them, ignoring the red-haired man’s taunt and causing the captor to press the blade closer to Vars’ neck.
“Do you really think that is wise after knowing what he can do? Or maybe you want to meet your leader’s fate?” Her Highness said.
He gulped in response and loosened his grip. He hesitated. In that moment of hesitation, her Highness, closed the gap between them in mere seconds, catching everyone watching my surprise. She moved up to his right side with great speed and kicked the back of his knee forcing him to buckle and kneel. Vars used this as an opportunity to elbow him in the face and free himself from the man’s grip.
Her highness followed up with a roundhouse ax kick to the man's face, forcing him to the ground hard enough that he bounced back up into her foot still crashing down. He was knocked out on impact.
That’s my-
Before I finished my thoughts, I found myself rushing towards her Highness, to intercept a blunt weapon with the hilt of my blade. The red-haired man’s partner in crime – a thin man with a shaved head, and snake tattoos on his neck– held a wooden club of some sort. I drew my second blade to cut the man's weapon in half, leaving him stunned and speechless, as he fell on his behind.
“I'm sorry I'm sorry” he cried, as he bowed.
I looked to the other guards and nodded, signaling them to arrest the man.
“Vars are you alright”?
“Yeah, A little embarrassed, but I’m fine,” he said, shaking his elbow.
I looked to her highness who was walking away from the man she just defeated. She walked over to the cloak she took off and picked it back up. She buttoned it, but kept the hood down, and then turned towards me.
“I know you have questions but we should probably head back to the other duel,” she said.
“You’re right, we should get going.”
After another group of guards showed up, to take in the captors, the remaining group –including five guards, her highness, Vars, and myself–, left to head back towards the west elevator.
Thoughts filled my head, about the duels, her Highness, my Master, and left me anxious to know everything.
We made our way down the hall, where my Master and Argo Durra had probably finished their duel. It was quiet, aside from the whispers as a wave of guards walked through the wide halls. Her majesty and Vars were tucked in between the five guards, while I took up the rear.
We were just about to the elevator when everyone in front of me stopped. I felt the hairs on my arm stand up. Something inside of me told me that something was wrong, whether it was instinct or some gut feeling I would never know.
A path was opened up in front of me, the guards, Vars, and her Highness stood to the side. I felt everyone's eyes fall on me. I looked into the guards' eyes, each one filled with sorrow and some turned away, not daring to look me in the eyes.
I looked ahead and saw the aftermath of my Master’s duel. Grooves in the floor and the walls from my master’s blade covered the entire area in front of the elevator, while dents in the walls and a few pipes from Argo Durra’s gauntlets were added into the mix.
For a moment everything fell silent, and the only thing I could hear was my heart thumping in my chest. I stood there motionless, watching over my Master’s body. So many emotions filled me, that I didn’t even know how to react… or if I should react. I grew cold and goosebumps covered my entire body. The sound of my heart faded away and left me empty, like the void of space that surrounded us. I may have been in a hall full of people but felt alone for the first time since leaving my family. All of those years I spent training with my Master, all of the memories rushed through my brain. Everything and everyone around me stood still. Nothing moved.
Nothing but the single tear that fell down my face.
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